Champions League Knock-Out Stages: Guide To The Last 16 Teams

It is the time of the year when the excitement reaches its peak in European football. The Christmas bells are ringing, as the teams are reaching the culmination of the first phase of their domestic leagues. This period proves to be extremely crucial for the fate of the teams in the coming months as the managers form a fair idea of the campaign so far and in accordance with their assessment, do the repair work in the winter transfer market.

Another important aspect that underlines this month is Europe’s most elite competition – UEFA Champions League – reaches its second level as the top 16 teams in Europe get set to compete. Although the fixtures of the pre-quarters round take place during the month of February, the excitement never tends to cease.

This time around too, the exhilaration for the Champions League knock-out rounds among the whole community is exceeding with every single day passing and the ambitions for the highest total are prospected to be drawing the clubs into an off-field tussle too during the transfer window.

While all the managers would be keen to celebrate Christmas on a positive note by claiming maximum points in the couple of fixtures before going into the break, they would equally emphasize strategies and schemes to challenge for a title in Europe too.

What I have presented in the slideshow is an attempt to rank the 16 competing teams for the title on the basis of various parameters. Teams are listed in a descending order with the team with the least likeliness to win the title being the first and the order follows with the increase in the probability of a team bagging the esteemed crown. The team that happens to be the most definite title contender is listed the last.

Crux of the matter: Well, most certainly not the worst of the remainder of the teams contesting in the tournament but the abject approach and indifferent intent during the whole campaign so far leaves the defending champions in complete disarray.

Things are only going to be difficult from here on and it looks like the current holders of the title would be aborted from the next round unless fortune favours them and they are provided with a lesser experienced team at this stage to compete.

Rafa Benitez would need to deploy tactical brilliance – something he has categorically failed to so far. Injury concerns and disjointed team attitude haunt Inter’s season and it requires a herculean effort to resurge their title hopes.

Crux of the matter: The Danish champions are entering at this stage for the first time since their inception in 1993. Fairly new in the European circuit, they have not failed to impress.

Outclassing the old horses Rubin Kazan and Panathinaikos, the Danish have already left an impression and have achieved enough to have a “nothing to lose” attitude. The icing on the cake in their Champions League campaign came when they held Spanish giants Barcelona for a 1-1 draw.

On top of their form in the domestic circuit too, this Copenhagen outfit is certainly a team to watch for and with a day in their favour they are potential candidates to turn tables. Lack of experience would probably disallow them to progress beyond imagination, however they would never be short on their learning. This has been a truly eventful season thus far and they would give it all to maximise the outcome.

Key players: Zdenek Pospech, Martin Vingaard, Dame N’Doye.

Desired oppositions: They would not mind anybody. They are to give it all with nothing to lose.

Crux of the matter: After a stupendous series of three consecutive wins in the first phase of the group games, the French stumbled and lost two in a row. If not for a synchronous downfall of the Portuguese team Benfica, Lyon would have found it tough to reserve a place in the last sixteen.

Their domestic form has not been convincing either, with inconsistent performances occurring frequently. They do need a little fortune by their side to avoid the bigger oppositions in the pre-quarters round of the Champions League. With their experience in this form of competition, they are still dangerous customers to all the other teams. One must not forget their miraculous display last season where they reached to the last four, dismissing Real Madrid on their way.

Crux of the matter: The current Ligue 1 title holders did not come through the smoothest of paths to reach the second round in the Champions League. The defeat of English champions Chelsea on the final matchday however, should raise their confidence heading into the knock-out phase.

A dip in form has dropped the French champions currently to the fifth position in the domestic league table and things were equally inconsistent in the group games in Champions League too. Much like their compatriots Lyon, their chances to progress too would rely on whom they get to face in the first knock-out fixture.

Although momentarily down, the French side is managed by former World Cup winning skipper Didier Deschamps and boasts some highly-rated prodigies in their ranks. They are a potential package to cause the element of surprise which by no means can be ruled out from a competition full of uncertainties.

Crux of the matter: Ranieri’s men have easily had a season to forget so far. Every single time they appear to resurrect their campaign, they falter again.

Presently being left stranded at sixth position in the Serie A table, the Romans have managed a modest goal difference of +1 in the league. They fared equally mediocre in the Champions League too, having been beaten at home by Swiss team FC Basel and then having managed only a draw against Romanian club CFR Cluj.

Having featured at this level of competition time and again, Ranieri knows what it takes and to back his ideas, he has got a host of players with immense experience to play at the highest level. Being one of the three dangerous second-spot finishers along with Arsenal and Valencia, the Giallorossi are potential candidates to crank the results in their favour. Certainly a force to reckon with.

Crux of the matter: A year ago, Schalke were running high on form and went on to finish second in the Bundesliga behind champions Bayern Munich. This time around though, they have not been able to carry on the momentum from last season.

Riding on a topsy-turvy patch, they have been pushed to tenth position in the domestic circuit. However, their Champions League form has been top notch as the team manager helped them clinch 13 points during the whole set of fixtures.

What may run in favour of them is the number of probable inexperienced opponents to face to. However, in the likes of Milan, Arsenal, Roma and Valencia there is threat looming against them in abundance.

Crux of the matter: The reigning Ukrainian champions are riding on a purple patch of their form. Having marginalised the closest opponents Dynamo Kiev by 12 points in the domestic league, they look all set to claim another league title.

In the Champions League, they have fared unexpectedly well, beating Arsenal in front of home fans. Bagging maximum points on the gained momentum, they have topped their group and have the luxury to face the lesser threatening opponents of the remaining lot.

A lot would depend on their disciplined play when they face physically tougher and stronger oppositions in the upcoming rounds. However, given the results they have produced so far none of the teams can possibly discount the Europa League champions of 2008-09.

Crux of the matter: Ever since Harry Redknapp took over he has revitalised these London underdogs completely to make it a team that can on any given day shred any given opponent into pieces. At the same time, Harry has not been able to detach the tag of ‘Unpredictability’ that goes without saying with the Lilywhites, making them a team that on any given day can be shredded apart by any given opposition.

A Gareth Bale-inspired Spurs outclassed the defending champions Inter at White Hart Lane. The win arguably earned them the top spot in the table which may prove crucial to further their stint in Europe.

Their domestic form so far has been so Sprus-esque, as they have delivered numerous over the top performances as well as they have failures on several occasions.

It’s been ages since they last competed for the highest honours in Europe and this may well provide the needed thrust and motivation. Harry’s men boast of some unparallel talent in Gareth Bale and Aaron Lennon and have quality customers in Europe in Rafael van Der Vaart and Luka Modric. This team has brought the element of ecstasy in the competition and are a sure shot threat to all the title contenders being reckoned above them.

Crux of the matter: Having lost two iconic players earlier this season in David Villa and David Silva, the team was expected to be in tatters but have instead responded resonantly. Their league form is worth a concern, having slipped into fifth position, but they are still reckoned the strongest force to give sleepless nights to both Madrid and Barcelona.

Many feel they were unfortunate in the defeat against Manchester United at home despite being the better side on the field for more than eighty long minutes. They almost surged their revenge at Old Trafford in the return leg which could have earned them the top spot.

However, the proposition that falls in favour of them is along with Manchester United, they will avoid both Real Madrid and Barcelona in the next round which leaves them with lesser probable oppositions to face and provides a better chance to read and anticipate the game of each of them.

Blending the classified basics of Spanish game into their play, Valencia are as dangerous a team as one could be in the Champions League; the only question remains to be answered is whether they can deliver what it takes to go the long way.

Crux of the matter: Amongst the remaining teams in the competition, Arsenal comes with the biggest tag of “under-achievers." Arsene Wenger is widely regarded as one of the most pragmatic coaches world over but is yet to deliver a title at the European level for the club.

This time in the year, when they looked to break the shackles showing a scintillating form in the domestic competitions, they slipped out on the big moments in the Champions League games and were eventually reduced to the second-spot holders. They needed a last gasp win on the final matchday to keep their title hopes alive in the tournament.

With both Manchester United and Chelsea already out of the English League Cup, Arsenal have a good chance to end a drought of titles this season but Wenger must keep his focus alive in order to excel at the highest level.

With exciting youth prospects like Samir Nasri and Jack Wilshere playing at the top of their game, Arsenal can give shockers to any team in Europe. The Arsenal brand of football has earned enough of reverence from the fraternity; what they need now is some trophies in the case to strengthen their case.

Crux of the matter: Last season’s finalists have looked far from impressive this time around. In the Bundesliga, they have been consistently inconsistent, dropping enough points on the path to be sitting at sixth position, 17 points adrift of the league leaders Dortmund.

They were arguably positioned into the easiest of the groups in Champions League and much as expected, they won the group winning five of the six matches.

They have yet to face any powerful team in Europe and given the nature of their form in the domestic circuit, even the faithful fans would not anticipate their team to replicate last season’s heroics.

A timely return of Arjen Robben could well serve the purpose but otherwise their case looks weak enough to be dismissed sooner rather than later.

Crux of the matter: Max Allegri’s Milan have certainly found out a winning combination in their ranks. The winning run in the Serie A has been prolonged enough to freeze a place at the summit and it is about time they translated the similar form into the European competition too.

During the group matches, the Rossoneri always fared shaky having been beaten twice. They could only manage to beat French side Auxerre along with an almost sealed victory against Real Madrid if not for a last minute equaliser by Pedro Leon.

The biggest problem at their helm is they may face one of Manchester United, Barcelona or Chelsea in the round of 16. Milan have earlier beaten all these sides at this stage but this time it is an altogether different story with the dip in their strength and subsequently their dominance in Europe.

However, with the zeal they have deployed lately in the domestic league, they would start favourites against any of the other teams in the knock-out round and once they enter the last eight, they are traditionally a very difficult side to beat.

Their heritage and historic riches in Champions League may help to strengthen their confidence but a hope for the title would be a too optimistic one.

Crux of the matter: The Red Devils did not have the best start of the season and they looked to lose the hold over their nerve in the dying moments which showed the way they were reduced to frustrating draws on countless occasions, unsettling their challenge for the league title.

One thing however, must be credited to them is they have still managed to remain unbeaten in the domestic league as well as in the Champions League.

A fall in form for Chelsea has helped them claim the top spot and the latest win over Arsenal only adds to their confidence.

On a much positive note, Dimitar Berbatov – their most skilled forward – has found his golden touch and is in an amazing goal scoring form. With Ferguson’s match reading skills and effective manning at each position, this United side could tread long enough to go all the way in the competition but it is still doubtful they have what it takes to undo teams like Barcelona, Real Madrid and Chelsea.

Crux of the matter: Los Blancos suffered a humbling, 5-0, defeat at Camp Nou which had the potential to unsettle their team composition but standing true to their character, they already appear to have repaired much of the psychological damage.

Jose Mourinho – the self proclaimed Special One – seems to have found out a formidable eleven in the Real Madrid ranks and the Spanish giants after years’ longing appear a serious contender for the title.

It was eight years back that the crown was awarded to Real Madrid, then led by Fernando Hiero and it is about time Jose Mourinho delivered the much deserved jubilations to the faithful fans.

Cristiano Ronaldo is in a sublime form and he may well ride on his fortune to maximise teams’ results. If Kaka returns in action before February, Real Madrid could boast of the strongest midfield in Europe with Xabi Alonso and Sami Khedira behind him and Ozil as a potent reserve.

With inclusions of the new faces in the first team, the squad looks as strong as in the Zidane-Figo era but it would be interesting to see how they can break the jinx to go past the pre-quarters – something they have failed to do for last six seasons.

Crux of the matter: The London unit has been the perfect example of slide in fortunes this season. Having managed arguably the best start to the season in Europe, the Blues have slumped to a fourth position in the league table with only six points in their kitty from last seven fixtures.

The series of dismal performances has affected their confidence in Europe too as they suffered a beating in France at the hands of Marseille on the final matchday, albeit it does not account for much.

With Carlo Ancelotti as their head coach, Chelsea boast of the most pragmatic manager at this level with two titles claimed in this decade as manager. Ancelotti has seen things in and out and possesses an unparallel skill to make it count when it matters.

He has gone under immense and up to an extent unfair criticism for team’s uninspiring spree of performances but he is the best man to think of to resurrect a team’s dangling fortunes from such a positions.

Players like John Terry, Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba have seen their title dreams being tattered from inches close and that may inject a matchless thrust in them to deliver their best.

This English outfit poises the strongest challenge from Britain to claim the title and this may be the season where finally the most awaited honour falls by their side.

Crux of the matter: The feeling of invincibility has long been associated with the Catalan outfit since Guardiola took over as manager. This side perhaps is the best club team ever to have assembled to play.

The biggest asset they posses in their ranks is the number of home grown players who bleed Barca inside out. The acquisitions too have gelled perfectly in the Barca idea of the game and deliver business in epitomised manner.

This team went on to bag an unprecedented run of success claiming the sextuple. This season, they look even more formidable than then and it should not surprise anyone to see them the runaway champions.